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The Score
The Score is a 2001 crime thriller directed by Frank Oz and starring Marlon Brando, in his final film role. Also stars Robert De Niro, Edward Norton, and Angela Bassett. It was the only time Brando and De Niro appeared in a film together—although they had previously both won Academy Awards for portraying the same character, Vito Corleone, in The Godfather and The Godfather Part II respectively. The screenplay was based upon a story by Daniel E. Taylor and Emmy-winner Kario Salem. Plot After nearly being caught on a routine burglary, master safe-cracker Nick Wells (Robert De Niro) decides the time has finally come to retire. Nick's flight attendant girlfriend, Diane (Angela Bassett), encourages this decision, promising to fully commit to their relationship if he does indeed go straight. Nick, however, is lured into taking one final score by his fence Max (Marlon Brando). The job, worth a $4 million pay off to Nick, is to steal a sceptre, which is discovered to be a French national treasure. It was hidden in the leg of an antique piano, smuggled illegally through Canada into the United States, but was accidentally uncovered, and stored in the ultra-secure basement of the Montréal Customs House. Max introduces Nick to Jack Teller (Edward Norton), an ambitious thief who has infiltrated the Customs House and gained access to information regarding the security by pretending to be an intellectually disabled janitor named Brian. Nick hires his associate Steven (Jamie Harrold) to hack into the Custom House's security system to obtain the bypass codes allowing them to temporarily manipulate the alert protocols of the system during the heist. Steven is caught, however, by a corrupt systems administrator who extorts Nick for $50,000 for the information. More complications arise when they're forced to move up their time-table after the Customs House becomes aware of the true value of the sceptre and adds extra closed-circuit television cameras and infrared detectors to monitor the basement room while preparing to return it to its rightful owners. Nick uses a sewer tunnel to enter the Customs House basement as Jack uses the bypass codes to rig the cameras to shut off when Nick enters the storage room. One of the janitors stumbles upon Jack, but Jack locks him in a closet. Meanwhile Nick fills the enormous in-floor safe containing the sceptre with water before inserting and detonating a depth charge to blow off the door. He quickly packs up the sceptre in a carrying case to depart, but Jack double crosses him and at gunpoint demands he hand over the sceptre. Nick reluctantly gives up the carrying case and seconds later the alarm, rigged by Jack, alerts the entire security staff to the heist. Nick darts for the sewer entrance he came in as Jack heads back upstairs, tucking the carrying case inside his janitor jumpsuit and slipping past the incoming police units responding to the burglary. Nick escapes the security guards chasing him through the sewer tunnels. After making it to a bus station to flee the city, Jack calls Nick to gloat but is shocked to discover that Nick has anticipated Jack's actions. Jack opens the carrying case Nick gave him and finds it contains a steel rod weighed down with various bushings. Brushing off Jack's threats of vengeance, Nick advises Jack to flee as "every cop in the city" will now be looking for him. Nick hangs up and boards a boat with the real sceptre as a shocked Jack broods over his situation. Later, Max smiles as he watches a news broadcast reporting a massive manhunt being organized to find Jack, the prime suspect, and an unidentified accomplice. Nick then meets Diane at the airport as she returns from work, and they embrace. Cast *Marlon Brando as Max; the fence that puts together the job. *Robert De Niro as Nick Wells; a veteran thief tempted by one last score to comfortably retire. *Edward Norton as Jack Teller; the inside man seeking to establish himself as a respected criminal. *Angela Bassett as Diane; Nick's flight attendant girlfriend. *Gary Farmer as Burt; Nick's loyal associate who serves as security. *Jamie Harrold as Steven; a computer hacker that obtains the security codes for the score. *Richard Waugh as Sapperstien; the system's administrator for IronClad Security. *Jean-René Ouellet as André; head of security. *Paul Soles as Danny, the Montréal Customs Housejanitor. External links * Category:2001 release Category:Films Category:Robert De Niro films Category:Marlon Brando films Category:Edward Norton films Category:Angela Bassett films Category:Paul Soles films Category:Gary Farmer films